How Child Support Is Calculated in South Carolina
By Mary Ann Hall, Hall & Means, LLC
South Carolina calculates child support using the Income Shares Model under SC Code § 63-17-470 and the SC DSS Child Support Guidelines, combining both parents’ gross incomes, applying a published schedule, and dividing the obligation by each parent’s share of that income. At Hall & Means in Charleston, we help parents understand what goes into that number before they ever step into Family Court.
How South Carolina Calculates Child Support: The Income Shares Model
South Carolina uses the Income Shares Model. The premise: children should receive the same proportion of parental income they would have received had the parents remained together. Both parents contribute, and the contribution is proportional to each parent’s share of combined gross income.
The current South Carolina Child Support Guidelines are the 2024 Edition, effective January 1, 2024 — the first revision since 2014. That revision raised the schedule’s basic obligations and raised the combined gross income ceiling from $30,000 to $40,000 per month. If your support order pre-dates 2024, it may be worth asking a family-law attorney whether the new schedule, together with any other changes in your circumstances, supports a review (modification is fact-specific — covered below).
What Counts as Income Under the SC Child Support Guidelines?
“Gross income” for child support purposes is defined by the Guidelines, and it is broader than most clients expect — it generally reaches earnings from employment and self-employment as well as many other recurring income sources, while certain means-tested public benefits are excluded. The current SC DSS Guidelines booklet (available at dss.sc.gov) sets out the full definitions of what is included and excluded.
One principle worth knowing up front: if a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed — meaning they could earn more and have chosen not to — the court can impute “potential income” based on what that parent could reasonably earn given their work history, education, and the local job market.
Which Worksheet Applies to Your Case?
South Carolina uses three worksheets, and the one that applies depends entirely on the custody arrangement:
Many cases involving one primary custodial parent use Worksheet A; the correct worksheet depends on each family’s custody arrangement. The shared-custody threshold of 109 overnights is a sharp line. At 108 overnights, you are on Worksheet A. At 109 or more, you shift to Worksheet C, which adjusts the calculation to account for the fact that both households are now bearing duplicate expenses. The math changes meaningfully at that threshold.
How a Worksheet A Calculation Works, Step by Step
Here is the structure of a Worksheet A calculation. To keep it clear, we’ll label the parties as the Custodial Parent (the one the children primarily live with) and the Non-Custodial Parent. We deliberately do not publish sample dollar amounts — the schedule figures change with each Guidelines revision, and the only numbers that matter are the current ones for your actual incomes. The SC DSS online calculator (dss.sc.gov) applies the current schedule to your real figures.
Step 1 — Combine both parents’ gross monthly incomes. The Guidelines’ income definitions control what counts.
Step 2 — Look up the basic obligation. The DSS schedule, found in the Child Support Guidelines booklet, assigns a basic monthly obligation for your combined income and number of children.
Step 3 — Determine each parent’s income share. Each parent’s gross income divided by the combined figure gives that parent’s percentage — the share of the basic obligation each is responsible for.
Step 4 — Add work-related childcare and health insurance. Work-related childcare and the child’s portion of health-insurance premiums are added and apportioned by the same percentages. Whichever parent pays those costs directly is credited for them.
Step 5 — Calculate the final support amount. Because the Custodial Parent already keeps the children most nights, that parent’s share is presumed spent directly on the children. The Non-Custodial Parent’s share of the basic obligation, plus that parent’s share of the add-ons, becomes the monthly support order.
That result is the guideline amount. The court generally follows it unless a recognized deviation factor justifies a different number.
When Can a Court Deviate From the Guidelines?
Courts generally apply the Guidelines unless doing so would be unjust or inappropriate in a particular case — deviation is the exception, not the norm. The current DSS Guidelines booklet enumerates the recognized deviation factors, which cover categories such as educational expenses for a child, the equitable distribution of property in the underlying divorce, consumer debts incurred for the family’s benefit, extraordinary unreimbursed medical expenses, and existing support obligations for other dependents.
If the court deviates, expect the judge to explain the basis for the deviation on the record. If you believe a deviation factor applies to your case, raise it explicitly with supporting documentation — deviations are not granted by implication.
Modifying an Existing Support Order
Support orders are not permanent. They can be modified when circumstances change meaningfully after the order is entered.
Substantial Change in Circumstances
South Carolina recognizes the modification of an existing support order when there has been a substantial change in circumstances since the order was entered. A modest dollar swing under recalculation generally will not justify modification on its own — whether a given recalculation supports modification is fact-specific, so ask a South Carolina family-law attorney to review the current Guidelines against your circumstances. The guidelines schedule was revised in January 2024, and that schedule change, combined with other meaningful changes, is the kind of factor a court will weigh.
Examples of changes that commonly support a modification request include:
- A significant, lasting change in either parent’s income (job loss, promotion, business sale)
- The child developing a medical condition requiring ongoing care
- A change in the custody arrangement (the children moving primarily to the other household, or a shift across the 109-overnight line)
- A meaningful change in the households’ effective resources
- A child aging out of childcare (eliminating the add-on)
Timing can affect what relief is available, which is why it is worth speaking with a South Carolina family-law attorney promptly once your circumstances change rather than waiting.
What to Bring to Your Support Hearing
Charleston County Family Court hears support matters with the documentation in front of the judge. To support a calculation under Worksheet A, expect to provide:
- Recent pay stubs for both parents, typically the last few months (if available)
- Recent federal tax returns including W-2s and 1099s (your attorney or the court’s scheduling order will confirm how many years)
- Documentation of work-related childcare expenses — invoices, daycare contracts, or after-school program receipts
- The cost of the child’s portion of health insurance premiums (the marginal cost of adding the child, not the entire family premium)
- Records of any extraordinary medical expenses not covered by insurance
- If self-employed: profit and loss statements, business tax returns, and bank statements
- A completed Financial Declaration (SCCA 430), which the parties file in a Family Court support proceeding
Bring the original plus any copies the Clerk of Court requires — confirm the current copy requirements before your hearing.
How South Carolina Enforces Child Support
Once entered, a support order can be enforced through several mechanisms:
- Income withholding — virtually all SC support orders include automatic wage withholding from the paying parent’s employer
- Tax refund interception — federal and state refunds can be intercepted for past-due support
- License suspension — driver’s, professional, and recreational licenses can be suspended for non-payment
- Contempt of court — willful non-payment can result in jail time
- Credit reporting — significant arrears can be reported to credit bureaus
If you are not receiving the support you have been ordered, the SC Department of Social Services Child Support Services Division can assist with enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does South Carolina favor mothers in child support cases?
No. South Carolina applies the Income Shares Model identically regardless of which parent has primary custody. The custodial parent receives support; that parent may be the mother or the father. The guidelines themselves are gender-neutral. For more on how SC custody law works in practice, see our guide on Understanding Child Custody Rights in South Carolina.
What if the other parent is hiding income?
This is common, particularly with self-employed parents. The remedies include subpoenaing bank records, tax returns, and business books; deposing the parent under oath; and asking the court to impute income at the parent’s earning capacity rather than their reported income. The court can also order forensic accounting in higher-asset cases.
Can we agree to a support amount that differs from the guidelines?
Yes, but the court must approve it. Parents can agree to deviate, but the judge will only sign the order if the agreed amount is reasonable and the deviation is supported by one of the enumerated factors. Agreements to pay less than the guideline amount receive particularly close scrutiny because the support belongs to the child, not the receiving parent — it cannot simply be waived.
How long does child support last in South Carolina?
Support generally continues until the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, and it can extend for a child still finishing high school (generally up to about age 19) or longer for a child with a disability that prevents self-support. Whether and how college expenses are addressed is fact-specific — ask a South Carolina family-law attorney about your situation.
What happens to support if I become the emergency custodian?
An emergency custody order can change which parent receives support, and the existing support order should be modified accordingly. The same Family Court that issued the emergency order can address support at the temporary hearing that follows. For details on the emergency custody process, see our guide on Protecting Your Children: Emergency Custody Orders in Charleston.
Request a Confidential Consultation With a Charleston Family Law Attorney
Every family’s situation is different, and the right next step depends on your facts. If you would like to talk through your situation confidentially and without obligation, call Hall & Means at (843) 377-1341 or inquire online. We will listen first, then explain your options in plain language.
Hall & Means, LLC serves clients in Charleston and the South Carolina Lowcountry, including Charleston County in the 9th Judicial Circuit and neighboring Dorchester County in the 1st Judicial Circuit. The legal framework discussed here applies statewide in South Carolina.
About the Author
Mary Ann Hall is a founding partner at Hall & Means, LLC with more than 20 years of family-law experience. She is licensed to practice in South Carolina and has built her career advocating for clients and their rights in divorce, custody, alimony, and family law proceedings throughout the Lowcountry.
Read Mary Ann’s full bio → | Request a Confidential Consultation
This article is general legal information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. South Carolina law changes and every case turns on its specific facts. Consult a licensed South Carolina family-law attorney about your situation. (Attorney advertising — SC RPC 7.1.)